hacker

American  

[hak-er] / ˈhæk ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that hacks.

2. Slang.  a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill.

   weekend hackers on the golf course.

3. Computers.

   1. a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast.

      My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.

   2. a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent.

      A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!

      The company has hired hackers to test system security.

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hacker British  

/ ˈhækə /

noun

1. a person that hacks

2. slang  a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

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Etymology

Origin of hacker

First recorded in 1200–50 hacker for def. 1; Middle English (as surname); hack ¹, -er ¹; 1965–70 hacker for def. 2

Example Sentences

Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata Motors, revealed at the start of September that it had been targeted by hackers, severely disrupting sales and production and forcing the company to seek emergency funding.

From Barron's

Japanese beer giant Asahi said Thursday it was not negotiating with the hackers behind a "sophisticated and cunning" ransomware attack that is about to enter its third month.

From Barron's

In one, Russian hackers claimed responsibility for tampering with an Indiana wastewater treatment plant.

From Los Angeles Times

In the most recent tactics identified by cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, hackers posed as freight middlemen, posting fake loads to the boards.

From The Wall Street Journal

We searched hacker databases using online tools like haveibeenpwned.com and Constella Intelligence to see if Sue's details were previously compromised.

From BBC

Related Words

• operator
• technician